Signal for elevators.



M. G. SCHWAB.

SIGNAL FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED D120. 8, 1910.

1,052,285. Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l Hflrzmsas.

M mw. M m w,

Maw

M. C. SGHWAB. SIGNAL FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.8,1910.

1,052,285, Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-11831 2.

.him to his duty. occur so' frequently that the operator be.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN C. SCHWAB, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS.

SIGNAL FOR ELEVATORS.

To all (elm/n. if Hl(l l/ concern Be it'ltnown that l. MARTIN (1. Stimuli. a citizen ofthe Fnited States. residing at Chicago. in the county of '(ook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Signals for Elevators. of which the following is a specification.

.The present invention relates to a system .hywhich a person-standing upon any tioor of a huilding may signal the operator of the next approaching car. going up or down. to stop when the floor from which signal is given is'reached. Signals for this purpose have heretofore hcen used. hut in all cases of which I am aware the signal given the operator is of either the audihle er visihle type. 01; hotlnas for example either a hell. a light or a target. or two or more of them. But signals-of these types are open to the ohjectiou that thev are not always seen or heard hv the' attendants' 'and frequently do not make a sufficient impression upon the attendant to attract his attention and call This may he'hecausc they comes ()l'lliViOltStU them. especially if his attention is ahsorhcd hy others about him.

Frequent instances of this can he seen any day in any modern building equipped with an elevator svstem. and as a result of it the attendant frequently runs past lllSrflOtll' so that he must stop and return to take on a passenger. This entails a very material waste in the running expense. to say nothing of the delay and annoyance occasioned passengers. and the saving of this waste and avoiding of this delav and annoyance are among the principal objects of the present invention. andthe ohject originallv aimed at. I The object of 'the invention is. to provide a signaling system hy which these ohjections are. ohviated and to this end the improved signal is so constructed that it will manifest itself to theattendaiit through the sense of touch either alone or also in connection with the sense of sight or hearing or hoth. This objection is obviated and in addition thereto. material advantages are attained hy the use of a signal constructed according to the present invention. such a signal heing more positive and efficient in its action than a sighalwhich manifests itself to the attendant through thesense of sight or the sense of hearing or both; To this end the handle of the controller of an elevator car; is made a part of the' signal. Or, in other words,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatentcd Feb. 4. I913.

Application filed December 8. 1910. Serial No. 596.229;

the controller has a combined signal and handle which is gripped by the operator so that upon the receiving of the signal no time is lost in finding and grasping the handle. The signal is given to the operator by exciting the handle in a manner which is perceivahle through'the sense of touch and so far as l am aware such a comhined handle and signal is entirely new. The handle may also he excited. if desired. in a manner which is also perceivahle'hy the sense of hearing and the exciting may he done by any of a number of devices variously constructed to meet individual requirements. It. may he done by causing its physical vibration or by causing an electric current to pass through it and into the hand of the operator and in either event it is es entially what may he called a touch signal" which is not necessarily either a visihle signal or an audible signal. It may. however. he made audihle. as well as perceivahle through the sense of touch. by making the means for exciting it of such construction that its operation produces a sound resemhling that. of a buzzer or the rapid tapping of a hammer on a resonant hody, and this sound when produced at orwithin the handle will more surely attract the jattentioir'of the attendant than it produced at'a distance. This placing of the signal. whatever its. character or construction may'he. directly at or within the handle of the controller. or making them one and, the same part having the functions of hoth a handle and a signal. is another important feature of the invention.

The invention consists in the. features of novelty that are hereinafter described with" reference to .the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification and in-which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an elevator system. comprising three elevator cars. equipped with the improved signal and adapted to run past any desired nuniher of floors. although only three floors are shown equipped. Fig. 1 is a detail view ofone'of the switches. modified. Figs. 2 and 3' are details of the traveling contact of one car and the fixed contacts of two of the. signal circuits appropriate to one car'and one of the floors. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of single elevator car equipped"with a touch signal emhodying the generic invention and adapted to operate automatically at fixed trip mechanism for operating theswitch of the signal circult. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of body-pleces under three different modifications all adapted for use in the improved signal.

I Since-*the'original aim of the invent-ion was to produce a more effective signal for use. in connection with elevators, this embodiment of 1t will be described. It contemplates asigiialingsystem by which a sigcated he is to stop the car. In carrving outthis idea 1r pairof switches or push buttons.

as they are hereinafter called. one up and one down, is located at each floor of the building and each of said buttons is included in a separate control circuit which controls the open or closed condition of a switch in one of an equal number-of signal circuits. All of these signal circuits include all of a number-of ,so-oalled touch signals, one carriedhy each car..- Each of said signal circuits has two fixed;teru'iina'lcontacts appropriate to each floor of the building (one 'up and the other ,down) and a single movable Contact "appropriate to and moved by each car, said movable contact being adapted to travel in unison with the car, so

that whenever a movable contact engages a fixed' 'contact and closes the signal circuit at this point, if it; was previouslyyclosed at itsjswitch by theclosing of .the control cir- 'cuit, the touch signal will be given the atten'dant through thebodypiece-handle 'of the fco'ntr ller. v l

The system as shown in Fig; 1 otthe drawings has three cars, 1, 2 and 3, eachadapted to reciprocatein a separate shaft'by suitable power mechanism-(not shown) although it, will be understood thatthe inven* tion is applicable to a system having a greater or less number of cars. Thedrawings also show but three-floorsof a building equ pped to be served by the improved sig-v naling system, but. it will be understood thatany numberof floors may be similarly equipped by simply duplicating the parts peculiar to any one floor as shown, it. being understood that however many-floors are to be equipped no provision is made for the top and bottom floors. It is. to be understood, therefore, that the drawing is simply illustrative and that the capacity of the system either as to the number of cars or number of floors may be made to meet require- Located at a convenient point on each floor is a pair of switches, which,-for' the sake of distinctiori',-'. are herein called push buttons, one of Which,-4, is to be ushed to close a. control circuit, 5, when it is desired to signal a car going up to stop, and the points; Figs. 5, and 7 are details ot the 1 other of which push buttons. 6. is to be.

pushed to close a control circuit 7 when it is desired to signal a car going down to stop. The control circuit 5 leads through the coil of'an'electromagnet 8 thence through a wire 9 to one end of a busbar 10,-thence through a wire .11 to the positive pole of a the same course as ust described.

The magnets, S and 14, when energized.

attract pendant armatures, and 16, re-.

speclively, whichfarc normally in operative proximity to the magnets. and have 'suspended from them double actingtappets.

17 and 18, respectively, which are adapted to engage oscillatory switchcs, l9 and 20, respectively, for oscillating them in one direction or the other for-opening or closing. as

the case may be, the signal circuit. Each of these s'witches cons sts of athree gu'med part pivotally mounted at the intersection of its arms, one of which arms extends, npward'so that its upperend is in positionto'be engaged by the tappet when moved ineither direction. Theupwardly extcnding'arm is movable equal distances from its central po sition-directly over the pivotal center, and

it is preferably weighted .so .that when thrown by the ,tappet back and forth past the center the iiieponderance of. wcightlnwill be at- 'the'side of'the cent-er whereit will remain and hold the switch while, allowing the tappet-to gravitate toiits norma-L-central position. T he other two arms of; theswitch extend downward. from the pivoted axis,and are of unequal lengths... One of them-constantly and at all times. dips into a body of mercury containedincup, 22, but when the electromagnet.'8, (or 14.) is energized its armature is attracted, the tappet thrown over, the switch oscillated, and its short arm submerged in' tlhe mercury in the-cup 22 (or 24) without withdrawing its longer arm from the mercury in the cup 2-1 (or These mercury cups and switches form parts of signal circuits,v 25 and26, which include the coils of eleetromagnets, 27iand 2am spectively, Here it should be observed that these signal circuits are common to all of the signals oxrall of the cars, since, under proper conditions, any of them will operate the signal on any of the cars. Theyare arranged in pairs (2525, 2526 25"26"l and the pairs are connected with separate in sulated plates, 30,30 andSO, respectively,

located at aboutthe mid-height of the elevator shaft, this plate being, in turnpconnected by looped wires, 31. 32 and 33 with the touch signals, 34, and 36, respectirely, of the cars 1, 2 and 3 In turn all of the signals. 34, 35 and 36 are connected by looped wires. 37. 38 and 39 with a plate. 40. located at mid-heightof the elevator shaft which plate is in turn connected with the return wire. 13, of the battery circuits.

Each of the signal circuits, is common to all of the push buttons of a given name. or rather to the direction of travel of any "ar.

For example. the circuit 25 is common to i all of the cars when going upward. while I the circuit, 26. is common to all of the cars when goingdownward. and this is brought about by the following arrangement: The

cars 1. 2 and 3 are respectively connected with worms 41. 42 and 43. so that the worms rotate in unison with the travel of the cars. Each worm carries a nut. 44. 43 and to, which feeds along the worm as it rotates so that the position of the nut on the worm at all times corresponds with the position of the car in its shaft. Each nut is pro vided on one side with a pair of fingers.

47. which straddle the bus bar. 10. 10 and 10 of the respective cars, whereby the nut is prevented from turning. but permitted it to be oscillated by frictional contact with its worm so that one of its fingers is at all times inelectrical contact with the CUI'I'B spoiidin'g bus bar. Projecting from the 0pposite side of the nut is a finger. 48, which forms a traveling contact adapted to engage one or the other of a pair of fixed contacts. 49 or 50, accordingly as the finger or traveling contactis in its upper or lower position. and this position of the traveling contact is determined by the direction of rotation of the worm. which, in turn. is determined by the direction of travel of the car.

Located in the path of the nut of each car are as many contacts 49 49. etc., and as many contacts 50 50. etc., as there are floors at which push buttons 4 and G are located.

All of the contacts 49, etc., appropriate to each floor are electrically connected. as by a metallic bar 51, which is electrically coiinected to the signal circuit, 25, and all of the contacts 50 are similarly mounted and electrically connected by a bar 52 with the j 26, and there are as many of these contacts 49, etc, and 50, etc, located in the travel of each nut as there are floors. Thus, as shown in the drawing. there are signal circuit.

,three contacts 49, etc. within the path of:

and adapted to be engaged by each of the traveling contacts. 48. as the car is going.

up, and three of the contacts 50. etc. within the path and adapted to be engaged by the traveling contact 48 as the car is going down.

The operation of the system so far described is as follows: Let it be assumed that 1 cars 1 and 2 are going down and car 3 is going up, with the nuts in the positions shown, and that one passenger on the mid dle floor desires to go down and another passenger on the same floor desires to go up. The down passenger pushes the down button 6 and this energizes the electromagnet 14". closes the circuit 26" at '20 and upon releasing the button allows the armature 1G and tappet 17 to return by gravitv to normal positions leaving the signal circuit 26* I clcsed at 20* but open at 50*. The up pas senger pushes the up button 4 which in [like manner energizesthe magnet S and closes the signal circuit 25 and 19. leaving [It open at 49. These operations do not. I energize any of the magnets excepting 8 and 14 and do not close any of the signal circuits at their switches excepting 25* and 26. all j of which are appropriate to the middle floor. and leaves these open at H) and it i to be closed by whichever ot the traveling I contacts 48 first reaches and contacts with t them. For example. it has hen assumed that l cars 1 and 2 are above the middle floor and going down. Their contacts 48 are set for engagement with contacts 50. 50 and 50". I and whichever of the contacts -18 reaches a l contact 50 first. whether it be the conta t of the car 1 or of the car 2. all of the con- 1 tacts 50 being electrically connected with I each other. will close the signal circuit 26" at this point. This will send an instantanecus impulse through the signal on the car. 1 and will at the same time energize the electroniagnet Q8 and thus attract its armature 16. move the tappet 1?. shift the switch 20" to normal position and again open the signal circuit. llencc as the next car is del sceuding its contact 48 will also engage the i contact 50 and close the circuit 26* at this fpoint. but as it is open at the switch 20". i no effect will be produced. In like manner. the signal circuit 25 was closed at the i switch 19 by the push button 4 so that. as the car 3 ascends. its traveling contact 48 will engage the contact 49 and close the signal circuit 25 with like results. i It will be observed that a car going in i one direction can notclose a signal circuit l which is set to be operated by a car going in the opposite direction. and that all coni tacts of a like character appropriate to each floor are common to all of the cars. so that the pushing of a button on any floor will set. i the signal which will be picked up by the i first car going in the right direction. which reaches it. It will be observed also that the signaling impulse will be momentarv because the passing of the current instantly ienergizes the electromagnet (27 or 28 which is included in it and break the circuit by shifting the oscillating switch which i also is included in it.

The signal proper may be of any desired construction and location so long as it is in tphysical touch with the hand of the at- ;tendant at all times when it is apt to be set in operation, and when it operates will manifest itself to the attendant through the sense of touch or touch and sound. For example in Fig. 8 it is shown as consisting of magneto electromeclianism. 33. such as is used in a mordinary call-bell. or buzzer. contained within the hollow handle. 34. of the elevator controller. 54. the hammer. 55. being arranged to strike against the in ide of the hollow handle. \Vith this arrangement when the circuit signal. 31. 37 is closed the hammer will be caused to rapidly strike against the handle and produce rapid physical shocks or vibrations which are perceivable to the touch of the attendant so lcng as he keeps his hand upon the handle. and will also nroduce a sound. may be of wood. metal or any other material capable of being disturbed or excited n. such manner that its disturbance is perceivable through the sense of touch. its disturbance or excitement may. however. be electrical.

The handle l As shown in Fig. 9. the handle consists of two insulated metallic semicvlindrical pieces. 56. which. together. form the i end of which is jointed to the upper end of hollow grip or handle of the controller lever. 57. which pieces form the terminals of the secondary circuit. 58. of an induction coil. 1

58. the main circuit of which is included in the signal circuit. 31. 37.

\Vhen the signal circuit is energized the hand of the attendf V 1 the circuit will be momentary and the cirant. in gripping the two pieces. 56. will complete the secondary circuit of the in- (1'2. passes the tappet. 63. by reason of the fact that the weight. 68. will then instantly duction coil and the attendant will receive an electric shock. which will be only moincntary as already explained. The main circuit of the induction coil may include a make and break 59 in which case the armature will act after the manner of a buzzer and also as a hamme and thus cause signals of three different characters. 2'. e.. both elec trical and mechanical Vibrations of the hanfinger. (32. will engage a tappet. 71. which is dle. both of which are perceivable through the sense ottouch and a buzzing or rattling sound perceivablc through the sense of hearing.

Figs. t to T. inclusive. represent the adaptation of the improved signaling system to a single elevator car which is intended to be run between tixed limits either with or with out stopping at intermediate points. For

example. most elevators used in buildings' here shown. the car carries a projecting finger. 62. which. as the car is about to reach its top or bottom limit momentarily closes the signal circuit and produces a signal in the handle. 34. of the controller. As the car proceeds from the position shown the finger will engage a tappet. which is mounted so as to he capable of turning on a shaft. (34. and this tappet carries a pin. (35. which occupies a curved slot. 66. in the adjacent face of a rocker which is also loosely mounted upon the shaft 64. and has diametrically projecting vertical arms. 67. from the lower one of which is suspended a weight. (38. which holds the rocker in its normal position. Normally the pin. (35. is at the bottom of the slot. (as. so that when the tappet. (i3. is forced down ward the rocker will be moved about the shaft as a pivot and will. by the weight. be restored to normal position. as soon as the tinger. (i2. escapes past the tappet. U3. The movement of the rocker away from its normal position will move a thrust bar. (it). the

a three armed oscillating switch. 70. and the switch will he oscillated in such manner that it will close the signal circuit. 71. in the manner and with the results already described with reference to Fig. 1. This closing of cuit will again be opened when the finger.

break the circuit. and restore the rocker to the position shown. It. now. the car he started up 'ard the finger. (52. will engage the under side of the tappet. ($3. and the curved slot. (36. will permit the pin to move upward without turning the rocker. 'hen the car is about to reach its top limit the loosely mounted upon a shaft. 72. and through the medium of a pin. 73. which occupies a curved slot. 74. in the adjacent t'ace of a rocker. T5, turns the rocker in the iuaii ner already described with the result that the switch. Tti. of the signal circuit. 77. will i be closed in the manner already described. i Here. again. as soon as the finger passes the times desirable to run the car between two given levels of the mine or building in course tit construction. Figs. t to T is adapted for this use. As

The mechanism shown in tappet. T1. the circuit will be again opened by the weight. (38. As the car then travels down the finger. 62. will engage the tappet. T1. and the slot. 74. will permit the tappet. to be depressed without moving the rocker. T5. Thereafter. as soon as the tinger escapes from the tappet the tappet will be lifted to its normal position by a spring. 78.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the elevator cars is not shown in the drawing for the reason that it forms no part of the present invention and any desired mechanism for this purpose may be used in con nection with the invention.

and a eontroller therefor. said controller \Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. 1s: 1. The eomlnnation with an elevator car i having a handle. of means carried by the handle for exciting it in a manner which is perceivable through the sense of touch. and means for operating said exciting means.

2. The combination with an elevator car and a controller therefor. said controllen having a handle. of n|eau carried by the handle for exciting it in a manner which is l perceirable through the sense of touch and also through the sense of hearing. and means for operating said exeiting means.

3. The combination with an elevator ear and a eontroller therefor. said controller having a combined handle and signal, of nieam for exciting said handle in a manner perceivalile through the sense of touch and 20 aleo causing it to produce a sound.

MARTTN C. SCHWAH.

\YlllltSHthZ E. B. STACK. C. I. Sennonmnz. 

